Govt out to rig civic polls: Moudud

Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Monday said the party-backed candidates would go to the civic polls today amid uncertainty, as the government was out to implement its ‘blueprint’ to ensure victory of its candidates.
In a press conference at the party central office at Naya Paltan in the capital, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said his party still hoped that the Awami League would take a last chance to hold free and fair elections to let democracy continue.
‘We are going to the polls tomorrow [Tuesday] amid uncertainty as the government has a blueprint to ensure victory of its candidates with the help of the Election Commission, police and Rapid Action Battalion,’ Moudud said.
He said BNP has taken all preparations for the elections despite the adverse situation… with the hope that the people would vote for a ‘change’.
‘If the elections are held in a free and fair manner, the change will start from Dhaka and Chittagong,’ he said.
Moudud said BNP had selected all its polling agents, but the police and RAB arrested some 80 polling agents and activists from Dhaka North and South city corporation areas in last few days.
‘We would continue hoping that the government would hold elections in a free and fair manner to uphold democracy, but if they [government] implement their blueprint, it will prove once again that no fair election is possible under Awami League,’ he said.
‘If you [government] hold a voterless election this time, we would go for movement and you will have to take the responsibility,’ Moudud said.
He said the EC’s decision to keep army out of polling duty had dashed the hope for fair elections. ‘The EC has changed the decision to deploy army at the suggestion of the government,’ he alleged.
Moudud demanded no break in taking votes today and start of vote count soon after the polling ends, fearing that the ruling party men might take over the polling stations if there was any break in vote.
Replying to a question, he said BNP activists were being arrested on ‘false’ allegations that they were buying votes. ‘It is the Awami League men who are buying votes,’ he said.
In another press conference, BNP international affairs secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon said the police, RAB and joint forces were storming houses of the party-backed candidates, polling agents and supporters to issue threats so that they did not go to the polling stations.
He castigated the EC for giving approval to some ‘politically-biased’ and ‘inexperienced’ non-government organisations to observe the polls.